Death of Ken Warby
The Spirit of Australia 2 team has officially announced the death of Ken Warby. The Australian was known in the world of motorboating as the fastest man in the world on water. The record holder of 511 km/h, he died on February 20, 2023, at the age of 83.
A passionate pilot engineer
Ken Warby, originally from New South Wales, Australia, was an avid mechanic and racing boat driver. After starting out building boats in his parents' backyard, he began racing on Lake Macquarie. After winning 3 state championships on his skiff Monte Cristo, he tried his hand at hydroplanes and outboard boats.
The quest for the record
In the early 1970s, the world water speed record was hotly contested, although it caused many deaths in the quest to exceed 300 miles per hour, equivalent to 483 km/h. Ken Warby, set out to surpass the record held by Lee Taylor, at 459 km/h. He imagined a boat propelled by an aircraft jet, with a hydroplane hull, made of wood and fiberglass. This was to be the Sprit of Australia.
On his first attempt in 1977, Ken Warby improved the record, setting it at 464 km/h. One year later, after some improvements, he reached the record of 511 km/h, still never exceeded at the time of his death in 2023.
For a few years, he had been supporting his son-in-law David in the project of a new record boat, the Spirit of Australia II.
